Montco students pick out Christmas tree for Vice President Harris while learning environmental science lesson at tree farm | Poconos and Coal Region

LEHIGHTON, Pa. – Students from one Montgomery County school got to pick out a Christmas tree for the United States VP on Friday — all while learning lessons in environmental science.

Standing just under 11 feet tall, one Turkish fir, among countless trees at a Lehighton farm, was handpicked for a special destination.

Souderton Area High School students knew they were headed to Bustard’s Christmas Trees’ Lehighton farm on Friday for a lesson in environmental science. But what many didn’t know was they’d be picking out the Christmas tree for the Vice President of the United States.

“I was very shocked,” Victoria Puente, a junior studying environmental science at the high school, said. “I was eager to go on the trip, and I found out that I would be picking out the Vice President’s tree on the bus ride here.”

This is the second time in recent years a Bustard’s tree made it to DC. In 2015, the same farm donated a tree to the White House.

Back then, Dr. Stacey Aronow, the school’s English Department Coordinator, had sent a student to cover that event for the school newspaper, The Arrowhead. On Friday she and some of her journalism students visited to cover the event, while helping pick out the prize tree.

“I was thrilled. What an opportunity, what a moment,” she said. “I’m really quite touched and moved by the whole experience today.”

“It’s such an honor,” Jay Bustard, a partner at the farm, said.

Bustard is not only in the business of selling trees; he’s been working on projects to make his industry more sustainable.

“Unfortunately, farms as a whole, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s Christmas trees, cabbages, watermelons or whatever,” he said. “Slowly but surely, we’re losing our farm ground and our farmers.”

The tree farm had invited the students to learn about various aspects of the farm, hoping to pique the future workforce’s interest.

“We really need some people to step up to the plate,” he said. “Whether it’s research, whether it’s actually working on the farm.”

“It’s just making those connections to our consumer appetite and the goods we buy,” Ian Burley, who teaches environmental science at the school, said. “And things you wouldn’t really associate with those things, soils, fertilizers, and some of the environmental problems that could occur.”

Researchers visited to speak with the students as well.

“They’re studying the genetics of the trees,” Bustard said. “With people, it’s 23andme. We’re developing a database of ’23 and Tree.'”

In a democratic process, the ultimate winner that will be headed to Number One Observatory Circle was decided in a vote.

“I thought that was probably the, the fullest, best looking tree,” Jacob Godshall, a senior and editor-in-chief for The Arrowhead, said.

“Very shapely, very well taken care of, and it looked like it had a lot more growing to do,” Puente said. “And it’ll serve very well.”

Bustard says the tree will reach the veep sometime toward the end of November.

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